Germany blames Russia for attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport

The German government on Tuesday blamed Russia for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month using a drone laden with explosives, and announced that it would shut down a Russian consulate among other measures against Moscow.

The drone was found near a Ukrainian plane on the evening of August 4, and the device was defused. German officials said at the time that the incident posed a new level of danger.

Moscow has been widely accused by Western officials of running a campaign of sabotage and disruption across Europe with the aim of undermining support for Ukraine and destabilising European nations.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Tuesday that authorities found elements such as the drone configuration, components, explosives and detonator that are “known to us from other Russian hybrid operations and its war against Ukraine”.

He said that the device pointed to “a high degree of technical expertise” and painstaking planning, but that the execution of the plan appears to have been left to “low-level” agents.

Dobrindt told reporters in Berlin that intelligence points to “people being involved who acted on behalf of Russian state entities”, though he did not specify which ones. “Taken together, the police investigations, the pattern and intelligence findings prove a Russian responsibility for the attempted attack at Leipzig airport.”